Big changes are coming to New Jersey’s news world.
Some of the state’s most well-known newspapers will stop printing early next year.
Instead, they will only be available online.
This includes The Star-Ledger, Times of Trenton, South Jersey Times, and the Hunterdon County Democrat.
However, shockingly, the Jersey Journal will shut down completely after 157 years.
These decisions show how the news industry changes as fewer people buy printed papers and more turn to digital news.
The Star-Ledger, New Jersey’s largest newspaper, will print its final edition on February 2, 2025.
But the Hunterdon County Democrat will stop printing even earlier, with its last issue set for January 30, 2025.
Nonetheless, subscribers to these papers will still have access to their online content.
Though, unfortunately, the Jersey Journal cannot continue in any format due to rising costs and low sales.
Its final print date is February 1, 2025.
The Star-Ledger has been a major part of New Jersey’s history.
It started in 1939 after the Newark Star-Eagle merged with the Newark Ledger.
Over the years, it won many awards, including Pulitzer Prizes, for its outstanding reporting.
Despite its success, demand for print has dropped.
In 2024 alone, print readership fell by 21%.
Rising costs for printing and distribution also made the traditional paper model unsustainable.
Steve Alessi, president of NJ Advance Media, which owns The Star-Ledger and several other papers, explained the shift to digital as a step toward the future.
He said this move will allow the company to focus on building its newsroom and covering more topics important to readers.
The company plans to hire more reporters in 2025 and expand its digital news offerings, including investigative stories, true crime podcasts, and sports coverage.
For the Jersey Journal, the situation is different.
Since The Star-Ledger’s production plant in Montville handled its printing, the plant’s closure leaves the Journal without a way to produce the paper.
Editor David Blomquist said an online-only model would not have enough readers or income to keep the paper going.
Quite clearly, the Jersey Journal’s closure marks the end of a long history of providing independent, local news.
However, the decline of print newspapers is not just a New Jersey issue.
Across the country, many newspapers have shut down or moved to digital formats.
Between 2005 and 2023, one-third of newspapers in the U.S. disappeared, and two-thirds of newspaper jobs were lost.
And this change has raised concerns for some.
Kenneth Burns, president of the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists, pointed out that not everyone has switched to digital.
Many older readers still rely on physical papers, and fewer reporters could mean less local news for New Jersey communities.
Some people are concerned that this change is part of a bigger trend: More and more people are turning away from traditional, reliable news sources.
However, some see hope in the move to digital.
Brian Donohue, a former reporter for The Star-Ledger and Jersey Journal, believes that focusing on online content can help news organizations use resources more effectively.
Steve Alessi also emphasized that journalism remains strong.
By investing more in digital reporting, the papers aim to provide high-quality news that serves their readers.
Although it’s sad to see the end of printed newspapers like The Star-Ledger, this change reflects how people now consume news.
With the rise of smartphones and online platforms, digital formats are becoming the new standard.
While challenges remain, this transition offers opportunities to improve news delivery in New Jersey and beyond.
